Vacuum refrigerating unit



Dec. 22, 1936.

J. KIRGAN VCUUM REFRIGERATING UNIT Filed May 8, 1934 INVENTOR. mliizyaza BY Z HLS'ATTORNEY atente Vii ennnrms in r tion or New Jersey Application May a, rest, Serial No. 72e,di2

This invention relates to vacuum refrigerating apparatus in which water or other liquid refrigerant is vaporized to give a cooling efiect.

An object of the invention is to provide a refrigerating construction that is compact and relatively small in size, but adapted to give a sumciently large output, simplein design, low in cost of manufacture and capable of quick and easy installation.

Another object of the'invention is to provide refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator and an evacuator or vapor ejector in the form of a single unit which can be set up by merely attaching the end of the ejector to a suitable condenser.

A further object of the invention is to provide refrigerating apparatus including a combined evaporator and ejector oi? the power fluid type, with evaporator having an opening to be normally closed by a chest to which the power medium for operating the ejector is supplied; but giving access when the chest is removed to the interior of both the evaporator and the main casing of the ejector.

An additional object is to provide refrigerating apparatus comprising an evaporator with an inlet header bearing removable nozzles for the liquid refrigerant; the evaporator being so made and the nozzles so disposed that they are accessible from the outside for inspection and removal. With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described and defined in the appended claims; but I of course, reserve the right to make changes, not necessarily shown herein, that do not go beyond the scope and the spirit of the invention or depart from the principle thereof.

,On the drawing the figure shows in longitudinal section a refrigerating device in accordance with my invention.

The numeral l indicates a vessel which is used as an evaporator to receive a liquid refrigerant, such as water; part of which is converted into vapor therein to cool the remainder. From the lower end of the evaporator l projects the elongated tubular casing 2 of an ejector member through which the vapor of the refrigerant is expelled by a fluid power medium, such as steam, which is forced to flow through the casing 2. The inner end of the casing 2 extends above the bottom and projects to the inside of the evaporator as shown at 3. This end forms a rim which is spaced from the inside surface of the peripheral wall of the evaporator, thusdeflning an endless chamber 6, which surrounds the rim 3 and serves as a receptacle for the refrigerant after it has been cooled and before it flows out of the evaporator l.

The casing 2 has a longitudinal bore of the usual shape, expanded at the ends, between which is a contracted throat 5. The outer end of theses ing 2 is flanged to enable it to be secured to a suitable condenser into which the mixture of steam and water vapor is forced to be cooled and liquefied.

The water or other liquid refrigerant enters the evaporator I through an inlet opening 6 which leads to' a header 7. This header is integral with the evaporator l, as is the ejector casing 2. It is located at the opposite end or the top of the evaporator i; and it passes entirely around the periphery, above the receptacle 3. It has a number of screw threaded openings to receive threaded spray nozzles or nipples 8, through which the refrigerant is expelled in a divided state. In practice the pressure in the evaporator l is so reduced that some of the refrigerant entering by way or the nozzles is vaporized at once, while the remainder collects on the bottom of the receptacle t and is delivered through an outlet opening 9.

The nozzles 8 can easily be removed to be inspected or cleaned or replaced. For this purpose the upper end or top of the evaporator has a number of threaded openings of somewhat larger size than the diameter of these nozzles. These openings are in line with the nozzles and closed by removable plugs It. By unscrewing the appropriate plug Iii any of the nozzles can be taken out, and the inner ends of the nozzles may be polygonal in shape so that they can easily be engaged by a tool to remove them or put them into position. The part of the top outside wall of the evaporator bearing the closures in forms part of the header member 1.

The top of the evaporator has a large central opening H which is surrounded by the header 1, and this opening is closed by the chest to receive steam or other power fluid medium for the ejector. This chest comprises a mounting plate l2 supporting a number of steam nozzles [3, these nozzles projecting from the mounting plate toward the inner end of the ejector casing 2. They are secured to the plate i 2 by screw threaded portions Hi and are expanded at their ends to provide heads or flanges l5, which abut the plate I2. These flanges may be polygonal so that the nozzles may be engaged by a suitable tool and screwed tightly into the plate l2 or removed. The other member of the steam chest consists of a dished .or dome-shaped cover-plate l6 having an inlet IT with a flanged end to connect it to the power supply pipe l8. The plate 'l 8 forms a. space above the mounting plate ii to allow steam to reach.

paratus.

heat insulating washers under their heads, and

all the nozzles it, so that sufiicient power fluid can be delivered to the evacuator casing 2. A suitable packing element I9 is placed between the members l2 and it around the edges thereof and bolts 20 make the steam chest fast to the evaporator i.

As indicated in the drawing, the ejector nozzles is are all slightly convergent, so that the multiple jets of steam issuing from these nozzles will sufficiently entrain the water vapor in the evaporator and force it out through the casing 2, The steam chest can be dismounted very easily by unscrewing the headed bolts 20 and any one of the nozzles is can be removed whenever necessary.

It will thus be seen that the device is quite simple in construction and easy to set up and operate. It can be produced at relatively small expense because the evaporator and header with the ejector casing 2 can all be cast in one piece. The nozzles 8 can be quickly and easily mounted and the plugs Ill put in place and the nozzles l3 and other parts of the steam chest can be readily assembled and attached to the evaporator 5. At the same time any of the working parts that require attention for cleaning or replacement can always be readily taken out.

This unit can of course be used alone, or in sets, with all the ejectors discharging into a single condenser of comparatively great size, and supplied from a common steam pipe, to make a refrigerating plant of the tonnage required.

' In practice, the packingor gaskets l9 can be of heat insulating material so that the steam in the chest will not heat the water in the header 7 and reduce the refrigerating capacity of the ap- For the same reason the bolts 20 have the openings for these bolts in the parts i2 and Hi can be made large as shown so that the bolts are kept out of contact with the steam chest, for the same purpose. In fact, positive cooling means can be employed to prevent the transfer of heat from the steam chest to the inlet header 1, if necessary.

I claim;

1. An evaporator having an intake header to deliver a liquid refrigerantto the evaporator, one or more ejector nozzles surrounded by said header, and an ejector casing to evacuate the vapor of said refrigerant.

2. An evaporator having at one end an intake header to deliver liquid refrigerant to the evaporator, and an ejector casing at the opposite end to evacuate the vapor of said refrigerant, and nozzles in the evaporator surrounded by said header to discharge a power medium into the ejector casing.

3. An evaporator having at one end an intake header, nozzles carried by said header to deliver a liquid refrigerant to the evaporator, an ejector casing at the opposite end of the evaporator to ant, said evaporator carrying therein a plurality of nozzles for admitting the liquid refrigerant, and having nozzles in line with said casing to direct a power medium into the latter.

6. An evaporator having in its bottom, adjacent with said ejector casing to discharge a power medium into the latter.

8. An evaporator having in its bottom, adjacent the middle thereof, an ejector casing, the inner end of which extends above the bottom and forms with the surrounding wall of the said evaporator an endless receptacle for a cooled liquid refrigerant, nozzles in the evaporator to deliver a refrigerant to the receptacle and nozzles in line with said ejector casing to discharge a power medium into the latter, the nozzles for the refrigerant being arranged to surround the nozzles for the power medium.

9. An evaporator having an opening, a header formed inside the evaporator and surrounding said opening, an ejector member carried by the evaporator in line with said opening and a power chest secured over said opening,

10. An evaporator having a header therein, nozzles in the header to.discharge a refrigerant into the evaporator, and removable closures in the outside of the evaporator to give access to said nozzles.

11. An evaporator having a header therein, the outside Wall of the evaporator forming part, of said header, nozzles in the header to discharge into the evaporator, openings in said wall aligned with the nozzles and closures for said openings.

12. An evaporator having a header extending around the periphery on the insidesthereof, the outer wall of the evaporator forming part of the header, nozzles carried by thev header to deliver a refrigerant to the inside of the evaporator, openings in said wall in line with the nozzles, and closures for said openings.

13. An evaporator having an ejector casing, a power chest carried by the evaporator, nozzles mounted in the chest in line with said ejector casing, a header .within the evaporator concentric with said ejector casing and said chest, and nozzles mounted in the header to discharge a refrigerant into the evaporator.

14. An evaporator having a centrally disposed ejector casing and an opening in'line with said casing, a power chest having nozzles for the ejector casing secured over said opening, and a header in the evaporator and having nozzles to deliver into the evaporator around the inner end of the said ejector casing.

15. An evaporator having an opening in one end and carrying an ejector casing at the opposite end, a power chest with nozzles for the ejector casing secured over said opening, a header in the evaporator surrounding the opening, and nozzles in said header to deliver a' liquid refrigerant around the inner end of said casing.

16. An evaporator carrying in the bottom thereof an ejector casing, the inner end of which extends above the bottom and forms with the surrounding wall of the evaporator an endless receptacle, said evaporator having an opening in the top in line'with said ejector casing, a power chest having nozzles for the ejector casing secured over said opening, a header in the evapo rator surrounding said opening and nozzles carried by the header to deliver a refrigerant into said receptacle.

17. Means forming an evaporator chamber having a removably supported nozzle therein,

and having an opening in its outer wall greater in size than the nozzle and in alignment therewith. and a removable closure for said opening.

18. An evaporator for fefrigerating fluid having an opening in the base thereof, a wall surrounding said opening to confine the refrigerant, means to introduce refrigerant to the evaporator, and means to direct pressure fluid through the opening to produce a vacuum in the evaporator.

JOHN mm. 

